Use of electrical resistivity as an indicator for durability

Requirements for chloride diffusivity are increasingly being used as a performance based specification for durability. Testing of diffusivity, however, is time-consuming and elaborate. Thus, rapid and reliable methods are needed for routine quality control. Electrical resistivity is a convenient method for such purposes. In this study, the relationship between chloride diffusivity and electrical resistivity was obtained using a group of concrete mixtures. The relationship was confirmed by comparing the estimated diffusivities based on resistivity to the experimental diffusivities using test data from another work. Thus, it was concluded that the chloride diffusivity can be controlled indirectly by the measurements of resistivity, and resistivity is a good indicator of concrete durability. A classification of chloride resistance based on resistivity is proposed. Some of the factors affecting resistivity were also investigated. Results showed that environmental conditions and mixture characteristics significantly affect the electrical resistivity of concrete.